Results 1-20 of 79 for solar speaker:Ossian Smyth

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I do not imagine it is. I do not know if there is any legal impediment to releasing it. All the Deputy has asked for is the nature of the products - whether they are solar or wind, who the projects are, and what the status is of the eight projects proceeding. I will ask the Minister to provide the Deputy with more details on that. I do not have details of those particular eight projects,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: .... It was about how much the Government has installed of new capacity. We have seen more than 2 GW of capacity installed over the course of the past four years. The fact there is now 1 GW of solar on the grid is incredible. I expect another 1.5 GW will be added this year and another 1.5 GW next year. Looking towards an 8 GW target for 2030 is absolutely achievable. What I see in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The climate action plan sets challenging targets for installed generation capacity in 2030. This includes 9 GW of onshore wind, 8 GW of solar and at least 2 GW of additional gas-fired generation capacity. Ireland now has over 6 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity, with 46% of electricity generated in Ireland in 2023 being renewable. I am informed by ESB Networks that the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...last year and a 21% decrease in electricity-related emissions. This is despite a large increase in our population and a large increase in energy use. It is because of a great increase in wind and solar renewable electricity and also increased overseas interconnection. Under our climate action plan update, Ireland is targeting to reach 80% of electricity demand from renewable sources...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...because part of the reduction was due to increased imports of electricity from abroad through our interconnectors. It was also due to increased generation of wind power, increased generation of solar power and a reduction in the use of coal.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...of Health that the latter would need to make proposals. That is the process. I will discuss this matter directly with the Minister, Deputy Foley, when I see her next. We are working together on the schools solar panel project, which will provide free solar panels to every school in Ireland. It will be a wonderful and successful project. The next time I speak to her about it, which I...

Increased Fossil Fuel Divestment: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (13 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...recognises that its energy future lies with broad deployment of renewable energy and has committed to increasing the share of renewable electricity in Ireland up to 80% by 2030 and to allocating 15.5 GW of wind and solar capacity from renewables by 2030. To that end, Ireland has been an active member of the Global Offshore Wind Alliance since COP27. International collaboration is key to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (29 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...at stage 2b that the planning application can be made and further progress can be made on this application. I met the Minister, Deputy Foley, last week because I launched the project to put free solar panels on every school in Ireland and I will say it to her when I see her again. I will let her know what the Deputy said about the project in Portlaoise and how critical it is for the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Renewable Energy Generation (21 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...ceiling. Meeting projected demand by 2030 will require enabling various forms of renewable electricity. As such, we have set targets to be met. These include 9 GW of onshore wind, 8 GW of solar and at least 5 GW of offshore wind. To deliver the generation assets required and the ability to meet the expected increase in demand, we must also deliver a heretofore unprecedented amount of...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: .... The main purpose of this Supplementary Estimate is to provide the necessary funding of €926.606 million for the electricity costs emergency benefit scheme and €12 million for the business solar scheme in the energy transformation programme area. The Supplementary Estimate will also provide for the reallocation of a total of €67.4 million to provide additional...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Working through the many things the Deputy drew attention to, the first is the solar scheme. I think he is asking what the €12 million will produce and what we will deliver from that. This enhanced solar scheme began in July of this year. Since then, €7.8 million has been spent and 36 MW has been delivered. I expect that if we are at the same ratio, if we do €12...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...a much lower grant of only €2,400. The enhanced scheme began in July and since then we have had 425 applications and distributed €7.8 million. That was to support the installation of 46 MW of solar panels. Those are the numbers. As the Deputy said, the additional €12 million will support a number of projects in the high hundreds, but below 1,000. That is the order...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...will extend to the non-domestic sector. The Department of Rural and Community Development has a scheme for community centres, however, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has a solar scheme for farmers as part of the targeted agriculture modernisation schemes, TAMS. I am not sure how those interact-----

Energy Charter Treaty: Statements (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...and that they have fallen 4.6% since pre-Covid times. Our emissions are falling and they are going to continue to fall this year as well. Deputy Whitmore also asked why we have not put a single solar panel on a single school. Approximately 250 schools have solar panels on them now. They have been put on under a number of different schemes, including the pathfinder programme. I expect...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...invest in the electricity generation market in Ireland. This is a real concern. Every few months we hold an auction in which electricity generation companies are invited to come to Ireland to build wind and solar farms and to see if they want to take part in building within the Irish market. We are competing with the other European countries and we have to make sure that we do not set a...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Second Stage (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...of money and who are trying to stay warm in the wintertime, and that the long-term solution to that has to be retrofit or having a fuel-free supply of electricity, whether that is through wind or solar. We need to do more work on insulation schemes and energy efficiency schemes for the Travelling community and see if we can find somebody who can work specifically on that because there are...

Seanad: Budget 2024 (Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform): Statements (10 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...will produce very detailed budgets tomorrow. They will go down to their line items. I do not know what will be in it, but this may be. We will see tomorrow. Senator Pauline O'Reilly discussed the solar revolution and asked about the solar panels on schools project, which I have met the Department of Education about. That is due to launch in the next fortnight or so. On the fund for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: The Circular Economy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...assemble flat-pack furniture, for example, and to be able to use a spanner. That is fair enough. I will mention it to the Department of Education the next time I ask how it is getting on with the solar panel project, for example. Bringing in more practical skills, including the basics of how to do things in practice as well as in theory, is important. It is a relief sometimes for...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Sep 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...this being the construction of renewable generation sources and their successful integration into the electricity grid. Onshore wind continues to be the dominant form of renewable generation, and solar photovoltaic is a growing source and is rapidly transforming our energy system. Ireland has immense potential for offshore wind generation which will start to be realised in the second...